Sao Paulo | Reuters — Striking truck drivers resumed some roadblocks in Brazil on Monday, disrupting grain and meat shipments to southern ports even as the government cracked down on protesters and promised to give new benefits to the transport sector. By mid-afternoon there were 23 road blockages in three southern states, down from 99 […] Read more
Brazil truckers continue some roadblocks after crackdown
Some roads reopened in Brazil; truck strike persists
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Striking truckers lifted their blockade of dozens of highways in Brazil after police began fining and arresting protesters, though strike organizers said they had no plans to end their stoppage now in its 10th day. Road blockages were reported at 61 locations in six states on Friday, down from 88 […] Read more
Brazil warns of fines for striking truckers
Brasilia | Reuters –– Brazil’s Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo said Thursday the government would impose fines of between 5,000 and 10,000 reais (C$2,167 to $4,334) per hour on striking truckers who have blocked roads in key agricultural states for nine days. The planned fines come a day after the government attempted to negotiate an […] Read more
Brazil truck strike grinds into second week, port access cleared
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Truckers staged nearly 100 roadblocks across Brazil’s farm belt on Wednesday as protests stretched into their eighth day, though access to the country’s biggest port was cleared after police clashed with protesters who had briefly halted traffic there. The steadily widening blockades have sparked growing fuel and supply shortages and […] Read more
Brazilian grain trucker blockade continues, threatens harvest
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Truckers protesting high diesel prices in Brazil used road blocks to restrict the flow of soy, corn and other commodities in a key grain-growing region for a third day on Friday, threatening what is expected to be a record harvest. A group of transport companies and independent truckers are blocking […] Read more
Regulator clears Brazil agribusiness’ takeover of railway
Brasilia | Reuters — Brazil’s antitrust regulator Cade on Wednesday approved the takeover of the country’s main railway operator America Latina Logistica SA by Cosan Logistica SA, with restrictions to protect against unfair market advantages. The lead Cade investigator on the case, Gilvandro de Araujo, said restrictions on the merger would include guarantees of third-party […] Read more
Brazil’s grain traders fear monopoly if rail merger allowed
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s grain industry association, Abiove, said on Monday the takeover of the main railway operator America Latina Logistica (ALL) by Rumo, the logistic arm of the biggest sugar and ethanol producer Cosan, could create a monopoly and hurt competition. Cade, Brazil’s antitrust agency, is due to rule Wednesday on the […] Read more
Brazil says key soy road won’t be paved until 2016
Brasilia | Reuters –– An important road for soy and corn shipments linking to ports in northern Brazil will not be paved until 2016, the country’s transport minister said on Tuesday. President Dilma Rousseff said last year that the highway, known as BR-163, would be ready by mid-2015 as the government tries to relieve crowded […] Read more
Brazil exported 3.3 per cent more beef in 2014, industry says
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil, the world’s top beef exporter, shipped 1.56 million tonnes of meat abroad in 2014, 3.3 per cent more than it did in 2013, industry association Abiec said on Thursday. Volumes exported were near the 2007 record of 1.62 million tonnes. Beef exports by value were a record US$7.2 billion […] Read more
Brazil regulator lifts suspension of JBS Foods’ IPO
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil securities regulator CVM on Tuesday lifted its suspension of the initial public offering for JBS SA’s processed food unit, JBS Foods, as long as the company holds off taking orders for investment until after Christmas. CVM suspended the share offering Nov. 24, after the company’s CEO breached regulations by […] Read more
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